


You Lead, I'll Follow

by diemarysues



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dancing, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Elf Culture & Customs, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Part of a Fic Not Yet Posted, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9480044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diemarysues/pseuds/diemarysues
Summary: Prompt: Gimli and Legolas teach each other the dances of their respective peoples... with variable success!Basically, I wanted Gimli to be mildly scandalised by Elvish dancing. More details within.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [determamfidd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/determamfidd/pseuds/determamfidd) in the [2000GigolasFics](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2000GigolasFics) collection. 



> **Prompt:** Gimli and Legolas teach each other the dances of their respective peoples... with variable success!
> 
> Okay, so it only ended up being one way dance teaching, but since this is meant to be for a sequel to [Courting Habits](http://archiveofourown.org/works/725630/chapters/1346510), I didn't want to explore Dwarvish dancing again. *toes the ground* Sorry dets.
> 
> Thank you as always to alkjira, who helped loads for the middle and the end, which is most of the fic. 
> 
> Implied Fíli/Kíli/Tauriel in this fic, though it's not the main pairing.
> 
> Here is my hc of Elvish dancing: [[LINK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_tango)] [[video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRh64FrmOQ)]  
> Here is my hc of Dwarvish dancing: [[LINK](http://archiveofourown.org/works/725630/chapters/1513534)] [[video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yurw5Cf4HY)]
> 
> (Edit: First fic of the year, what? ~~Ignore that this was prompted ages ago ssh~~ )

“Of all the things for Dwarven and Elven courting habits to have in common,” Gimli said ruefully, “it’s this.”

 

“This is the only commonality.” And Legolas was right. Though dancing featured as an important step in wooing for both Elves and Dwarves, the exact styles of dance of the two races were as different as… well, the races themselves.

 

Dwarvish dances had structure. They made sense. They were proper.

 

Elvish dances were the complete opposite.

 

Gimli tried not to show his discomfort too obviously as he watched the two Elves who were demonstrating, since they were doing so for his benefit. But it was a near thing.

 

Dancing may have involved touching, that only made sense, but surely not _that_ much. And they were far too close to each other, bodies sometimes even scandalously pressed together. Gimli noted that they did not break eye contact even once – their upper bodies were aligned but their hips would twist as they stepped backwards and forwards and off to the sides. That particular aspect didn’t worry him too much as he had learned more complicated steps in his youth. But there was a potential problem…

 

“I cannot dance this.”

 

“Oh?” One thin flaxen eyebrow had lifted, mocking. “I should have known that you’d not have the skill.”

 

“If _you_ claim to be so skilled, then why don’t you show it to me by dancing on your knees? That is the issue I’m referring to, rather than any lack of mine.”

 

“It is still a lack of yours,” Legolas said impertinently and, despite the fact that Gimli took his meaning, he motioned with his hand at their height difference.

 

Choosing to be magnanimous, the reply – instead of rebuke – was, “It’s not too bad an idea, you know. You being on your knees.”

 

“If you’re talking about doing interesting things, I’d still need to put you on a box.”

 

“Funny.”

 

Legolas beamed. “I try.”

 

Throat clearing called their attention away; their instructors had noticed their distraction. Gimli was suddenly transported back into memories of similar happenings, being taught alongside Fíli and Kíli, with the three of them inevitably finding something more interesting than _left foot crossed behind, right foot forward, and then step – left forward, right step, right forward, left step_.

 

Like those times, Gimli spoke up first. “My apologies, we didn’t mean to interrupt.”

 

The Elves kept their expressions polite. If Gimli was being honest, he couldn’t quite tell what gender they were, because Elves were not sensible and did not wear the right braids. Telling them apart was even harder, as they were both dark haired and blue-eyed, with the delicate features expected of tree huggers. So, when one spoke, Gimli mentally referred to them as the more longsuffering one.

 

“What is the issue of distraction?” They stood close enough to their partner to remain in a loose embrace. With both of them looking so eerily alike, Gimli thought they could have been just the one Elf standing before a mirror.

 

“It is our differing heights, Hwidhril,” Legolas explained. “Though I have no doubt you’ve realised this already.”

 

To their credit, their instructors were passionate enough about their craft that Gimli’s stature was an interesting conundrum rather than an unsolvable obstacle. “We were discussing methods of overcoming that before you arrived this morning, o’ Prince.”

 

“And we were going to put them into practice after our demonstrations.” This was the third Elf in the room, the one that wasn’t as longsuffering as Hwidhril. Their sardonic smile and tapping foot was evidence enough of that. “Which we haven’t yet been able to finish.”

 

After apologising, the lesson continued on. Gimli remained uncomfortable with the Elves’ close proximity to each other. It was a bit of a relief to learn that he would be practicing with Legolas only; the possibility of touching a stranger so intimately was not one he relished. Even the casual bits of contact used to correct his stance was disconcerting.

 

“It will be easier if the Prince leads since he has more experience at this than you, Master Dwarf.”

 

“Fine,” Gimli said.

 

“We’ll try an open stance to compensate for the difference in height. Your arms should remain touching as much as you can, however, so you may communicate clearly.”

 

Gimli raised an eyebrow. “Communicate?” He didn’t think there would be much room in his head to facilitate conversation; it was true that he had many skills, but dancing was not one of them, and it would take most all his attention to keep his feet in order.

 

“Our dancing involves much improvisation. It’s best you be able to convey or pick up what your next step will be without having to discuss it out of the moment.” Hwidhril pushed Legolas’ upper arms, adjusting how he held them. This was a bit of a relief as there was less strain since Gimli’s arms were no longer near-vertical. Thanks to the distance between them, the fingertips of his right hand just barely brushed those of Legolas’ left. Those small, separate points of contact were quite enthralling, and Gimli was glad for his beard as it hid his blush from view of the Elves present.

 

A point that was moot in the end, as a bigger distraction burst its way through the door. It came in the form of two rambunctious idiots, followed sedately by their quite frightening friend – namely, Fíli and Kíli, then Tauriel.

 

“What’s going on here, then?” Kíli demanded, arms akimbo.

 

Fíli propped his elbow on his brother. “Looks inappropriate if you ask me.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Tauriel draped herself along Fíli’ and Kíli’s shoulders. “They could be standing a little closer. Why aren’t they standing closer? It’s just a dance.”

 

“It’s not ‘just’ a dance!” exclaimed… Not-Hwidhril. (Gimli’s sorting system needed work, because even Elves could apparently give up on being longsuffering. Hwidhril and Not-Hwidhril would have to do.) “It is the essential next step in their courting.”

 

The Dwarf-Dwarf-Elf stack didn’t look particularly impressed. To be fair though, considering the stories they had of all they’d gone through, it took quite a bit to impress those three. The Oliphaunts had barely passed their excitement threshold.

 

Gimli could remember his annoyance during that particular battle, when Legolas had slid down the trunk of the creature he’d just taken down, smug as you please. His intended had a great capacity for being trying without, er, trying.

 

Considering Legolas’ technique for close combat, Gimli compared it to the Elvish dancing style and could see the similarities, just as the dances he himself had learned in his youth had enhanced his abilities. Legolas enjoyed a copious amount of fast, fancy footwork as well as twisting _just_ enough to avoid an attack, keeping near his enemy and often using their own moves against them. Meanwhile, Gimli kept his foes only within swinging distance of his axe, choosing to stand his ground, stepping forward or back or to the side when necessary.

 

His more restrained style would not have gone well if he’d had to face an Oliphaunt on his own. He’d rather learn Elvish dancing. And was.

 

But that might have more to do with what and who he was learning it for. Gimli looked away from the growing argument between the instructors and the newcomers, and was pleasantly surprised to see that Legolas was already looking at him.

 

“Our first lesson isn’t going very well,” his Elf said, voice low and amused.

 

“It was fine until these nitwits arrived.”

 

“I’m going to tell Tauriel you called her a nitwit.”

 

Gimli snorted. “You’d end up being scolded yourself.”

 

This was met with a noncommittal hum. They both relaxed from their starting position, Legolas’ arm easily curling around Gimli’s shoulder as they watched the mayhem. Fíli and Kíli appeared to be pointing out the many failings of Elvish dances when it came to having more than one partner. Hwidhril and Not-Hwidhril were clearly unused to dealing with anyone like the two princes but were giving no quarter all the same. Tauriel was the only calm one of the bunch. She had a smile playing about her mouth and –

 

Flicked her fingers in their direction. It was a clear dismissal even if she didn’t glance at them.

 

“Time to make our escape,” Legolas whispered, gently tugging Gimli backwards to the door.

 

“We’ll have to return to these lessons sooner or later,” Gimli pointed out, nonetheless putting up no resistance.

 

“I’ll be happier for later. Dancing isn’t my favourite part of courting.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I much prefer singing.” Legolas’ eyes were wide and hopeful. “Yours, that is.”

 

Gimli would have laughed, but they were still within hearing distance of the Elves they were escaping. That and he was busy dealing with a (metaphorical) glowing in his chest. “You’ll have to make it worth my while, Princeling.”

 

“If there’s one thing I can do,” his Elf said, arm falling away from Gimli’s shoulder so he could tangle their fingers together, “it’s that.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hwidhril - Twirler/Whirler/Giddy One
> 
> There's something strange about writing all this while listening to Hindi music *shrugs* Also, this is my first published Gimli/Legolas fic that's not part of a drabble challenge? Yay for me, I suppose. Not so much for you guys, as I'm unsure if I've nailed the characterisation yet. I'm better with Fili, Kili, and Tauriel, if it wasn't already evident.
> 
> Comment, y/y?


End file.
